Abstract: Joseph Alfred Andrews was born in 1858 and died in
1928. He received an M.D. degree from Columbia University College of Physicians
and Surgeons in 1876 and subsequently specialized in ophthalmology and
otolaryngology. Dr. Andrews had medical offices in New York City from the early
1890s until 1896 and was active, there, in professional affairs, serving on the
staffs of several hospitals, publishing in local medical journals, and
fulfilling assignments in ophthalmological societies. In 1897 he visited Santa
Barbara, California for medical reasons and subsequently moved there
permanently, becoming a well-respected physician in the community. The papers
span twenty years and cover aspects of his professional life (notes,
correspondence, committee affairs) and of his social life (correspondence,
invitations), but almost totally missing are any personal aspects. The
collection does afford some interesting glimpses of the problems and internal
politics facing those concerned with the administration of New York's public
charity hospitals of the time.

Gift of the Los Angeles Country Medical Association (LACMA) to the UCLA Biomedical Library, ca. 1994.

Biography

Joseph Alfred Andrews was born in 1858 and died in 1928. He received an M.D.
degree from Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in 1876 and
specialized in ophthalmology and otolaryngology. He was a member of the American
Medical Association, the American Ophthalmological Society, the American
Otological Society, and the Medical Society of the State of New York. A number
of his papers were published in New York medical journals, as listed in the
"Catalogue of the Library of the Surgeon-General's Office". [Dr. Andrews'
obituary appeared in the "Journal of the American Medical Association," 90:1888,
1928, and he is listed in the AMA's "Directory of Deceased Physicians".]

Dr. Andrews traveled (and probably studied) in Europe; the papers contain
letters from friends and a few mementos from London, Paris, correspondence from
several German cities, and Dr. Andrews' notes in German. He was also, at some
time, in Hong Kong and visited Canton; his handwritten and signed (but not
dated) short "Medical impression of China" verifies this fact.

Dr. Andrews' medical office was located at 9 West 22nd Street, New York at
least from the early 1890's until 1896. In 1896 he visited Hot Springs, Virginia
for health reasons; in 1897 he tried the climate in Santa Barbara, California
temporarily; but the papers give no indication exactly when he definitely made
that city his permanent home. While in New York Dr. Andrews was active in
professional affairs, serving especially on the staff and Medical Board of City
Hospital, other hospitals of the Department of Public Charities, and fulfilling
committee assignments in local ophthalmological societies. There is also
correspondence from his private patients in New York and Santa Barbara.

Socially, Dr. Andrews was well liked and sought after, to judge by the number
of invitations and social notes among his papers. He never married during the
time spanned by these papers. He seems to have been a gifted amateur artist,
judging by the comments on and few examples of his sketches. [An interesting
snapshot of Dr. Andrews' life after 1899 emerged from another collection (Ms.
Coll. #188, the papers of Orville Harry Brown, Folder 5): in 1908 Dr. Andrews
was invited, and accepted, to become a member of the Local Advisory Committee of
the American Health League for Santa Barbara, CA. Five letters from the League
to JAA are included in Coll. # 188.]

Indexing Terms

The following terms have been used to index the description of this
collection in the library's online public access catalog.